C4D Dolly Zoom Plugin

A tool for Cinema 4D that implements the classic "Dolly Zoom" (Vertigo) effect. It dynamically adjusts the camera's Field of View (FOV) as you move the camera, keeping the subject at a constant size while the background perspective warps.

Cinema_4D_hl0nNxH4kX.mp4

Features

• Flexible target selection:
  • DollyTarget null object (highest priority).
  • Selected geometric components (Points, Edges, Polygons).
  • Selected Object (fallback).
• Focal length snapping (Ctrl key).
• Precision speed control (Shift key).
• Support for Cinema 4D 2025 and 2026.

How to Use (Target Selection Logic)

The plugin intelligently determines the focal point of the effect based on the following priority:

1. DollyTarget Object: If you create a Null object and name it exactly DollyTarget, the plugin will always use its position.
2. Selected Component: If no DollyTarget exists, the plugin uses the center of your selected points, edges, or polygons.
3. Selected Object: If no component is selected, it uses the position of the currently selected object.
4. DOF Auto Mode: If nothing is selected and no DollyTarget is found, it falls back to the World Origin (0,0,0).

Modifier Keys (During Drag)

• No key: Standard speed.
• Shift: Precision mode (much slower movement) for fine-tuning.
• Control (Ctrl): Snapping mode. The focal length snaps to the nearest integer millimeter (e.g., 24mm, 35mm, 50mm). The dragging speed remains the same as standard mode.

Download

You can download the latest version from the Releases page. The release ZIP contains pre-built binaries for different Cinema 4D versions:

• 2025/C4D_DollyZoom — for Cinema 4D 2025.
• 2026/C4D_DollyZoom — for Cinema 4D 2026.

Changelog

See CHANGELOG.md for a full list of changes.

Installation

1. Download and extract the C4D_DollyZoom_vX.X.X.zip.
2. Open your Cinema 4D version folder (2025 or 2026).
3. Copy the entire C4D_DollyZoom folder.
4. Paste it into your Cinema 4D plugins directory:
   • Path example: C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D 202X\plugins\
   • Alternative path: C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\Maxon\Maxon Cinema 4D 202X_XXXXXXXX\plugins\
5. Restart Cinema 4D.

Building from Source

If you want to compile the plugin yourself or modify the code, please refer to the BUILD_INSTRUCTIONS.md for detailed environment setup and compilation steps.

License

MIT License - Created for the Cinema 4D community.